NAPLAN to blame for teacher, student stress: study

NAPLAN to blame for teacher, student stress: study

The NAPLAN national school tests system comes under fire from stressed-out teachers who say they and their students feel under too much pressure to achieve good results.

NAPLAN testing has come under fire after a new study found that students were put under so much pressure they felt sick or cried. (Credit: ABC)

The NAPLAN national school tests system has come under fire from stressed-out teachers who say they and their students feel under too much pressure to achieve good results.

All children are tested on reading, writing, grammar and maths in years three, five, seven and nine.

But a survey of more than 8,000 teachers and principals, carried out for the University of Western Sydney's Whitlam Institute, found that more than half of the teachers assessed said they were spending more time on teaching specifically for the test, and less time on face-to-face learning.

Thirty-nine per cent of the teachers who responded said they were teaching by rote, staging weekly tests aimed at boosting NAPLAN performances at the expense of other subjects like art, music and language.

And they said students were showing increasing levels of stress before the tests, with children crying, experiencing sleepless nights, and even hiding under their desks as the tests approach.

"In some areas the majority of teachers are reporting instances of anxiety, which can be everything from crying, sleeplessness, not wanting to sit the test, and we've got a number of reports for example of students hiding under the desks when the tests are on," Whitlam Institute director Eric Sidoti said.

Teacher responses in NAPLAN study

90 per cent felt at least some students reported feeling stressed about NAPLAN.

60 per cent stated at least some students reported crying due to stress.

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